


It Would Suffice

by countesscee



Series: todoroki sakura, ex-ninja, pro-hero [2]
Category: Naruto, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Gen, Sports Festival Arc (My Hero Academia), inner sakura is a badass and no one can change my mind
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-25
Updated: 2018-07-25
Packaged: 2019-06-16 07:15:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15431811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/countesscee/pseuds/countesscee
Summary: His voice washes over her like the calmest genjutsu she's ever experienced. It's soothing and warm and her body springs to attention, mouth opening to accept his invitation --I think the fuck not,snaps Inner, waking from her continuous slumber in the depths of Sakura's mind.Slowly, Sakura regains control over her body as Inner wrestles with the purple-haired's Quirk. It's surprisingly tough, but then again, Inner had withstood both the Yamanaka and the Sharingan before, so.Curving her lips in a sickly sweet smile, Sakura echoes Inner and says, "I think the fuck not."(or, Sakura in the Sports Festival, and how she met one Shinsou Hitoshi.)





	It Would Suffice

_Fourth,_ thinks Sakura dazedly, wiping sweat from her eyebrows.  _Only fourth?_

As she stands with a furious Bakugou, a silently seething Shouto - she knows, she recognizes that tic on his eyebrow, the sore loser - and an elated Midoriya, Sakura stretches. Her skin is tingling from the barely evaded explosions courtesy of the last obstacle. Shaking her arms loose, she takes a moment to assess her internal water levels.

Substantial. More than she expected, really.

Gritting her teeth from frustration, Sakura breathes. Inhales, then exhales.

 _Calm,_ she thinks.  _You did your best considering you didn't want to show all your skills._

She thought that even with her personal limitations, it would be enough for a first or a second. After all, speed is one of her specialties. She's gauged herself to be on par, if not slightly weaker than Shouto when it comes to firepower, but  _speed_ was her forte.

But then Midoriya's attack out of nowhere, one that's pure ingenuity in the face of a hopeless situation, stunned her as Bakugou, Shouto, and she fought for the first place.

(Naruto would be proud. Of Midoriya's surprise attack, not Sakura.)

 _Arrogance and complacency_ kills, she reminds herself.

"Alright?" asks Shouto, not really looking at her. Like Sakura, he's stretching his limbs and catching his breath. "Water?"

"I'm good," says Sakura. "I think they have water over there."

The two of them drift towards the direction of a table with water cups to the side. Midnight-sensei tells them to catch their breaths and Bakugou, a few feet away from them, ignores the twins when grabbing a cup. He then resolutely stays on the other side of the table.

After getting their drinks, Sakura and Shouto silently watch the rest of their competition steadily pass through the humungous arch. Sakura notices Shouto throw a few considering glances at Midoriya, the true wildcard of the class. Her lips twitch upward a little.

Midnight-sensei calls them over and announces the rankings. Sakura's pleasantly surprised when all of her classmates get in.

Then, the rules of the Cavalry are laid out. Midnight-sensei explains the points and everyone stares at Midoriya, locking in on the shaking boy. Sakura starts to grin like a shark. If only she hadn't decided to conceal her current strength..

Ah, well. Long-term benefits than short-term, as Tsunade-shishou sometimes told her. Sakura privately thought the phrase 'preach what you teach' was something her teacher rarely practiced.

She turns to Shouto, about to discuss her plan of being the horse and delegating her twin to the rider position, when Shouto cuts her off.

"Sakura, I don't think we should team up."

Briefly blindsided, all Sakura manages is, "Uh."

"It's a waste to have both of us on the same team."

"Go on."

"Both of us are strong fighters. It would be interesting to fight for real this time."

"..Okay, you have a valid point."

Shouto turns to properly face her now, hiding his expression from the rest of their competitors. His lips quirk up, showing her a small grin that rarely graces her brother's face. Softly, his voice somehow more serious than before, he says, "Besides, don't you think it's about time we go on our separate ways? We can't always fight together, imouto."

Then he turns and walks away, leaving a shocked Sakura.

"What the heck was that," says Sakura, stupefied. She raises her voice and shouts, "That was too dramatic, Shouto! I'll kick your ass! Shannaro!"

Shouto waves at her without turning around, doing that anime-protagonist-wave-thing Sakura knows he practices.

Abandoned by her brother, Sakura searches around for a group before all of the people she knows are taken away. Spotting Ojiro looking around, the closest to her, she hurriedly makes her way to him.

"Ah, Ojiro-kun, want to team up?"

"Ehh.." Eyeing her, he says, "But you and Todoroki-kun have second highest points combined.."

"No no, we're not teaming up together."

"What? Alright then! Let's search for another -"

"Excuse me," cuts in a voice. "You're in my way."

"Oh, sorry," choruses Ojiro and Sakura, the platitudes said out of reflex. They turn to look at the person speaker. It's the violet-haired guy, the one with prominent eye bags. He's politely smiling at them but something in Sakura stiffens.

"It's okay. I can't help hearing you need a third member.." He trails off, eyeing the both of them slowly. Without changing his tone, he continues, "I'd ask you but honestly, who cares? Join my group and I'll be the rider."

Beside her, Ojiro tenses and relaxes, but Sakura doesn't notice that.

His voice washes over her like the calmest genjutsu she's ever experienced. It's soothing and warm and her body springs to attention, mouth opening to accept his invitation --

 _I think the fuck not,_ snaps Inner, waking from her continuous slumber in the depths of Sakura's mind.

Slowly, Sakura regains control over her body as Inner wrestles with the purple-haired's Quirk. It's surprisingly tough, but then again, Inner had withstood both the Yamanaka _and_ the Sharingan before, so.

Curving her lips in a sickly sweet smile, Sakura echoes Inner and says, "I think the fuck not."

His eyes widen in complete shock, jaw slightly slackened. He looks at her with new eyes, the condescension and absolute belief in himself gone.

"How?"

Sakura drops her smile. "Trade secret. What's your name?"

"Shinsou Hitoshi." He raises his arms in the universal 'don't-hurt-me' style. As if. "If it's any consolation, I didn't mean you harm."

"Yeah? Nobody ever told you consent is pretty fucking important?'

"Are you gonna team up with a nobody like me if I didn't tell you to?"

Fair point, if she wasn't Sakura. "If you asked before, yes."

Shinsou blinks at her, disbelief written on his face. "Yeah, right," he says, sarcasm ringing loud and clear.

"I'm serious. I would have joined anybody who asked," she answers. Hardening her voice, she adds, "Nobody likes their choices or consciousness taken away from them."

"I know." Shinsou's reply was unexpectedly solemn, heavy with something she can't pinpoint. He shakes his head before saying, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that. Can we start over?"

Critically staring at the boy before her, Sakura thinks. A mind-control Quirk is  _extremely_ powerful in the right situations. It still nags her, the way he just blatantly ordered them without asking first. Inner was already starting to sleep again, tired from grappling control, but she sends Sakura impressions of civilians and enemies alike skittering away from the Yamanaka, from Ino.

Shinsou looks  _nothing_ like her Ino, except perhaps from the raging purple shades they both don. But he stands before her with what Sakura suspects as genuine apology on his eyes.

So Sakura says, "Undo your quirk on Ojiro first. Mind-control?"

"Of sorts," says Shinsou placidly. "There."

Ojiro staggers, his tail lowering down to balance himself. "H-huh - what the hell..?"

"You can do it  _mentally?_ Without verbal orders?" demands Sakura.

Shinsou shoots her words back at her, saying, "Trade secret," before turning to Ojiro. He repeats, "My name's Shinsou Hitoshi. Also, I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For mind-controlling you," cuts in Sakura, a smile slowly unfurling on her lips. "Well, I'm Todoroki Sakura. Call me Sakura, everybody does. I can't say it's nice to meet you, but do take care of me, ne?"

"Wait - mind controlling?!"

"Of course. I still have to insist on being the rider though."

" _Mind-control?_ "

"That's fine. I was planning on being the horse myself, anyway." Still smiling cheerfully, Sakura says, "I'm a  _very_ good tank, you know? Between me and Ojiro's strength and your Quirk.."

Shinsou doesn't quite mirror her smile but he does smile, a shark-like smile that promises triumph. Ojiro looks between the two of them, sighs, and says, "Fine, fine. I'm Ojiro Mashirao, nice to meet you, try not to cause too much property damage, let's win this, yada yada."

Sakura turns her smile at Ojiro and says, "That's the spirit! First off: we're kicking my brother's ass!"

**Author's Note:**

> apologies for not updating 'to perish twice' in forever, so here's a little something. 
> 
> enjoy. please do leave a comment on your way out.


End file.
